LUTHERMUIR GOSPEL HALL

Among the many attractions that bring people into the picturesque village of Edzell is its popular Golf course which is set in 128 acres of beautiful landscape and was recently upgraded in 2015. Golf is a big part of British culture which is enjoyed with great success. Perhaps the ascent of Rory Mcllroy and Justin Rose within the top eight of the official golf world rankings has inspired more to take up the sport. What is fascinating about golf is the things that are similar to life; here are a few:

 

THE POINT OF THE GAME

In short, the object of the game is to get the golf ball into the designated hole with the fewest possible strokes. 

Our lives too have a clearly defined purpose. Perhaps you haven’t given it much thought before. It was Blaise Pascal, a famous French mathematician and philosopher, that said, “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.”

Man’s chiefest purpose in this life is to know God. The Lord Jesus said, “This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent” John 17:3. 

 

OBSTACLES IN THE WAY

Getting a ball in a hole might sound easy enough but there are obstacles and difficulties to negotiate during the game. To name just a few, there are sand pits, ponds and trees, wind direction and speed and the gradient of the green. 

Sin is the greatest obstacle to knowing God. The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23: “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” In golfing terms, it would be, the falling short of the hole, or going over the par of the hole.

 

RULES & PENALTIES 

Golf has more rules than most games. There are apparently 34 rules plus various sub-clauses. These rules are enforced by The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. And as you would expect if the rules are broken then there are consequences. For some players it has cost them a golfing tournament and millions of pounds. 

God is holy and just, He is the rule giver and penalty enforcer. God has no choice but to hold us accountable for our sin. The Bible tells us that, “The wages of sin is death” Romans 6:23. Wages are paid out at the end of a week or given time but God’s payment comes at the end of our life. This not only means physical death but death in the sense of separation from God eternally. 

 

THE GOOD NEWS!

Although we have all broken God’s rules and deserve to pay the price, God loved us enough to do something about it. He sent His Son into the world to be our Saviour. He in fact was the Great law giver before He came into the world, and the Great law keeper when He was in the world. Yet He came to save us from the penalty of our sins. The Bible tells us, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” 1 Timothy 1:15. Now that’s great news! By simply repenting of our sins, (having a change of attitude towards God and sin), believing on the Lord Jesus and accepting Him as our Saviour we can have our score cards cleared of any penalties or strokes and enjoy life in all its fullness. Life may continue to throw up difficulties and the odd sand dunes, but the Lord Jesus will be with us from the first swing to the final putt of our lives.

​